The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-16
POOR TOWER.
The True Story of a Faithful but Misun
derstOod MOngrel Dog.

a
derstood Mongrel Dog.
Poor old Towzeri If ever 4 dog was
misunderstood, he was. They called
him a mongrel. am sure it hurt his feel
ings. He couldn't help being a mOngrel.
hold that dog should be respected,
if he tries to be faithful to his master,
even if he hasn't the Lest of blue blood
in his veins. | told Tower that he
was as good as anybody, if he behaved
himself. He used often to come to me
with his head hanging, and his tail be-
tween his legs, and look into my eyes
for comfort. And how that tail would
wag when spoke kindly to its owner,
and told him that if he held up his
head, and did his duty, all would come
right in the end! The tail said: 81
believe you," as plain as ever q tail
spoke.
That Towser could understand Eng
fish, we proved over and over. To use
the word string in his presence
made him extremely melancholy. No
matter how happy his mood was, at the
sound of that insignificant word he
would stink away and hide himself. if
possible There was reason for this.
When Tower was young, he was frisky
and mischievous, like allyoung things.
One of his tricks was chasing the chick
ems. So he was often tied up; and on
a few sad occasions dead chicken was
tied TO his neck, and he was forced to
/ run aboutwith the dreadful thing. Ever
after. he knew the meaning of "string."
| might give you other instances Of
his linguistic knowledge. He was once
owned by man who fed him on boiled
pumpkin. After reaching a higher
station in life, so vivid was his memory
of the horrors of pumpkin diet that he
would howl whenever the poverty
stricken word was used. Again, in the
pumpkin family there were two boys
with toy gun, that made disagree
able popping in Towers ears. If
mention was made of an intention TO
..get the gun and have some fun"
Tower would at once hide, generally in
an outside kitchen, where the boys
were not likely to disturb his sensitive
nerves.
Tower was sent to live with an
uncle of the pumpkin people, who
sometimes stayed for weeks at time
quite alone in his house. Uncle Nudge
was very deaf. So, when one night a
coal fell from the kitchen stove and
lodged in a crack, and ate out little
hole, which soon became great hole,
and the stove fell through the great
hole into the cellar, striking heap of
old iron, and making great crash,
Uncle Nudge didn't hear sound.
But Tswzer heard. and what a wild,
fierce noise he set up! Mongrel as he
was, he understood the danger. and put
forth all his doggish energy in his ter
rife barking. told you that Tower
was woefuliy misunderstood. Only
think of that old Mudge's ingratitude!
He woke at the fierce yelps, and actu-
ally sent one of his old shoes at the
poor beast, and wounded his ear so
| LIldl Tie UlOOu Idu. Gull lHC MT htpl
at the kitchen floor. The hole grew
larger. A chair dropped through; then
a table went banging down to join the
rest of the furniture. Uncle Nudge
dropped off to sleep again. He must
have had bad cold in his head, or he
would have smclt the smoke.
Bow, wow. WOW! Bow, WOW, WOW!
Tap. tap. tap! Knock! Pound! 'Open
the door. Your house is on fret The
kitchen is all ablaze! How the fire
streams up. 1t is glad, YOU may be-
lieve, to get out of that little stove and
riot through the house. Knock! Pound!
Smash. A window is broken in. Two
men climb through to the room where
Tower is sounding his wild a arm.
Uncle Nudge is dragged from his bed
and out of the house. One of the res
cuers goes back for the old mans box
of money and his clothing. Then the
fire is given its own way. Like a great
red-tongued beast. it soon devours the
| little house. But no human being falls
a prev to the monster that escaped
from the stove. The men were passing
by. They heard Towers faithful
voice, and Uncle Nudge was saved.
Poor Towzer!-1HrS. n. r. Butts, in
Congre9dtionalist-